Afterschool settings offer an opportunity to have hands-on experiences with science using interesting materials and simple scientific tools. With deliberate programming, content-rich activities and hands-on materials, they can foster an environment of investigation, experimentation, exploration, conversation and reflection—the foundations of scientific inquiry. These settings offer an opportunity to get young people excited and invested in subjects that often seem too distant and irrelevant while exposing young people to the wonder of discovering and studying their world.
In afterschool programs, young people conduct scientific inquiries about issues that matter to them. Through partnerships with science-rich institutions, they come into contact with scientists and engineers and use the resources of science museums and research institutes to see how science is used in the field and the array of careers they may one day take on. For many young people, especially those whose access to high-quality science has been limited, these are priceless opportunities that expand their vision of themselves and their world.